DIGHTON — On Tuesday, the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District worked out a contract with newly appointed Superintendent Anthony Azar.

Azar, the current administrator for curriculum and development for New Bedford schools, will begin working for Dighton-Rehoboth full time on June 2 as the acting superintendent. He will earn a salary of $140,000 per year, and his official contract will begin July 1, according to school authorities.

School Committee Chairman Raymond Medeiros said Azar will work with current interim Superintendent Michael Malone in April and May before he assumes full-time duties.

Azar could not be reached for comment.

On an 8-2 vote earlier this month, the School Committee selected Azar over two other finalists.

"We talked for a long time about the qualities we are looking for and enumerated on a number of them — leadership, experience as an educator and the fact that he has been in education for a long time," Medeiros said about the vote.

Azar's career spans more than three decades. He started off as a teacher in Rhode Island before becoming a principal and later an administrator of curriculum and development.

Azar was also the principal of the former Mulcahey Middle School in Taunton before landing his current position in New Bedford.

Medeiros stressed that D-R staff favors a superintendent who will remain in place for several years.

In recent years, the district has had high turnover at the position.

Former Superintendent Kathy Montagano retired in 2011, serving the district since 2008.

After Montagano, Jennifer Wordell served as interim from 2011-12. Instead of replacing her with a more permanent candidate, the district named current interim Michael Malone, who will remain on board officially until June 30.

Malone has vacation days coming and will take them off during the month of June.

Medeiros said the School Committee will determine at a later time if Malone should mentor Azar. If so, Malone will be paid on a per diem basis.